Pop Culture Happy Hour: In The Long Run

On this week's extremely punchy round-table podcast, once we cover our most important landmark of the week, Stephen Thompson gets through some preposterous claims loosely connected to this video and we get on the topic of this really fun book, we deal with two different cultural longevity issues. First, we talk about what it takes to keep a TV show going for season after season (which has fascinated me for years) and whether anything can hope to avoid peaking after the first season or two.

Then, in honor of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, we talk about red flags that make us worry about sequels, from replaced leads to crazy subtitles.

And, as always, we close with what's making us happy this week. Stephen is happy about finding some clips of someone he once admired. Trey is happy about a series he's shocked he didn't love already. Glen is happy about the book, of course, but also about a documentary about a man "genetically engineered" to appeal to him personally. And I am happy about exactly what you all said I would be, as well as about a movie night with family that forced me to defend the stout-heartedness of my wonderful nephews.

This episode, you should know, is very, very giggly and silly toward the end. I can't really provide any insight as to why, except that it happens sometimes. We hope you can at least hear most of it.